The Parish Boy’s Progress, From Book to Film to Musical

With a new production of ‘Oliver!’ at Chichester Festival Theatre, this talk will trace the history of the many adaptations of the story, from Dickens’s novel to stage and film versions, dramas and musicals.

It is over 185 years since the novel was serialised; since then there have been countless films and television series. This talk by Education Team member Andrew Vance, illustrated with a range of clips, will look at the films from the 1909 Vitograph Studios version up to Roman Polanski’s 2005 film, including David Lean’s famous adaptation with Sir Alec Guinness. Other famous actors who have played Fagin include Lon Chaney, George C Scott, Richard Dreyfuss and Ben Kingsley. It will explore the ways in which depictions of Fagin have changed from Dickens’s original characterisation, including the persistent accusations of antisemitism. Lionel Bart cast Ron Moody, a comic actor, as Fagin in his musical, who then went on to play the role in the Oscar winning film directed by Carol Reed. We can look forward to a new adaptation of ‘Oliver!’, directed by Matthew Bourne, at the Chichester Festival Theatre this summer.

100m (inc 10m Q&A)

Sat 27 Jul 10:30

In the Auditorium

Tickets £7.50

1948 Version

In Charles Dickens' classic tale, an orphan wends his way from cruel apprenticeship to den of thieves in search of a true home. This is the definitive version, and we are delighted to screen it at New Park to complement the Chichester Festival Theatre Summer musical production of ‘Oliver!’.

When 9-year-old orphan Oliver Twist (John Howard Davies) dares to ask his cruel taskmaster, Mr. Bumble (Francis L. Sullivan), for a second serving of gruel, he's hired out as an apprentice. Escaping that dismal fate, young Oliver falls in with the street urchin Artful Dodger (Anthony Newley) and his criminal mentor, Fagin (Alec Guinness). When kindly Mr. Brownlow (Henry Stephenson) takes Oliver in, Fagin's evil henchman Bill Sikes (Robert Newton) plots to kidnap the boy. This masterly adaptation of the Dickens novel by director David Lean brims with unforgettable scenes and performances, especially Guinness's Fagin and Newton's genuinely frightening Bill Sikes.

UK 1948 David Lean 105m

Follows Hans Jürgen Höss, the son of Auschwitz Camp Commandant Rudolf Höss (from the recent ‘The Zone of Interest’), when he confronts his father's involvement in the murder of over a million Jews during the Holocaust.

The Höss clan was fictionally captured in Jonathan Glazer’s Academy Award-winning ‘The Zone of Interest’. Now, the family that inspired the disturbing saga is focused on in this new documentary. The documentary centres on two stories, one of Auschwitz survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and another of Höss recalling his own childhood in the family villa at Auschwitz. The two meet 80 years later, and together with their children, Kai Höss and Maya Lasker-Wallfisch explore their very different hereditary burdens. The documentary includes original excerpts of Rudolf Höss’ autobiography, written shortly before his execution. We will be rescreening ‘The Zone of Interest’to complement this documentary. (Some subtitles)

USA 2024 Daniela Volker 110m

In this heartwarming drama, a woman is struggling through her daily routine both at home and at the local chicken factory (Chuck Chuck Baby), when an old flame comes back into the picture.

Present day, industrial North Wales. Helen (Louise Brealey) lives with her ex-husband (Celyn Jones), his 20-year-old girlfriend (Emily Fairn), their new baby - and his dying mother Gwen (Sorcha Cusack). Helen's mundane world takes a surprising turn with Joanne's (Annabel Scholey) return; they were the objects of the other's secret teenage passions. Encouraged by Helen, Joanne starts a playful wooing game. As they fall in love, Helen's zest for life returns but Joanne feels the walls close in as she faces something darker from her past. This is a bighearted, crowd-pleasing tale of love, liberation and female empowerment which boldly uses some musical standards (including Neil Diamond’s ’Dirty Old Town’ and The Pogues’ ‘Dirty Old Tow’) to convey the high emotional stakes at play.

UK 2023 Janis Pugh 101m

When the White House deems a Nasa mission too important to fail, a marketing expert is directed to stage a fake moon landing as back-up.

Brought in to fix NASA's public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing ace Kelly Jones (ScarlettJohansson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis's (Channing Tatum) already difficult task.

This is a sharp, stylish comedy-drama set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA's historic Apollo 11 moon landing.

USA 2024 Greg Berlanti